Although prior literature has explored the important process of identity communication in faceto-face settings, significant changes in how work is accomplished in modern organizations require the development of new theory. Building on extensive identity research in non-virtual settings, this paper develops and justifies a new theoretical model that better explains the antecedents of virtual ide...

Given the phenomenon of enormous observing over posting behaviors in virtual communities vis-à-vis relatively little exploration from academic, this paper investigates the importance of identity credibility under pre-interaction circumstance in virtual communities. We propose a model showing the antecedents and consequences of credibility of identity. Drawn on institution-based process, attitud...

Identity plays a key role in virtual communities. In communication, which is the primary activity, knowing the identity of those with whom you communicate is essential for understanding and evaluating an interaction. Yet in the disembodied world of the virtual community, identity is also ambiguous. Many of the basic cues about personality and social role we are accustomed to in the physical wor...

This study develops a framework for understanding user intentions and behaviors within a virtual world environment. The proposed framework posits that the intention to participate in virtual world is defined by a person’s 1) social identity, 2) attitude toward using the service, 3) subjective norms, 4) attitude toward advertising on the service and 5) enjoyment. The proposed model is tested usi...

An interpretive case study was conducted to examine how team members construct their identities and manage cultural differences in globally distributed information technology work. Research investigating globally distributed information technology work acknowledges the influence of culture on team members and their work activities, but issues of team members’ individual identity and agency are ...

Title of Dissertation: IT DESIGN FOR SUSTAINING VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES: AN IDENTITY-BASED APPROACH Meng Ma, Ph.D., 2005 Dissertation Directed By: Professor Ritu Agarwal and Professor Hank Lucas, Decision of Information Technologies Department A variety of information technology (IT) artifacts, such as those supporting reputation management and digital archives of past interactions, are commonly de...

Virtual communities enable one to pretend to be a different person or to possess a different identity at little or no cost. Despite the ubiquity of such communities, there is only limited theoretical and empirical research on how taking on a different identity is associated with one’s contributive behavior in those communities. Drawing on the social psychology literature, we adopt the concept o...

We examined the ethical implications of a mythical online student with a carefully concealed real identity who took part in an online post-graduate course. The mythical online student took part in all student activities and provided co-students with cognitive and technical support as a covert second facilitator; consequently, students found scaffolding unobtrusive and integrated the unknown vir...